Activatable temperature indicator

ABSTRACT

Apparatuses and methods for indicating when a container has reached a predefined temperature are disclosed. An activatable temperature indicator can include a first indicator portion with a first material with a melting point, and a second indicator portion with a second material configured to change color when combined with the first material of the first indicator portion when the first material reaches the melting point. A separation member can be removeably positioned between the first indicator portion and the second indicator portion, and a biasing mechanism can be configured to bias the first indicator portion and the second indicator portion into contact when the separation member is removed. An attachment mechanism can also be used to place the first indicator portion and the second indicator portion into contact.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure generally relates to apparatuses and methods forindicating when a container has reached a predefined temperature, andmore specifically to apparatuses and methods that use two tablets ofmaterial as part of an indicator to indicate when a container hasreached the predefined temperature.

BACKGROUND

When dealing with certain products, particularly in the medicalindustry, it is important to keep track of temperature. For example, itcan be important to monitor products for cumulative heat exposure andthreshold heat events. Cumulative heat exposure can cause many medicalproducts to lose potency, and exposure to temperatures above certainthreshold limits can also be damaging. In addition to medical products,other materials, such as perishable foods, must be stored at certaintemperatures and can spoil if subjected to certain temperatures, or to acertain amount of cumulative heat exposure.

To combat these problems, temperature indicators can be attached to thecontainers of such products and can be used to determine whether theproducts have reached a particularly damaging temperature. Temperatureindicators are often affixed by manufacturers to primary and/orsecondary packaging and boxes of drugs, vaccines, biologics, and othertemperature-sensitive medical and other products to determine whetherthe products have reached an unsafe temperature. Temperature control isnecessary during manufacturing, delivery and storage, as well as tocontinuously monitor products during use.

Presently used temperature indicators, however, are often bulky and/ordifficult to activate. Additionally, such temperature indicators requireactivation by a person in a manner that may cause the indicators tomalfunction due to the incorrect placement of the person's fingersduring activation and/or use.

There is accordingly a need in the art for a compact, reliabletemperature indicator that can be activated by a person with ease,without requiring the person to place their fingers in a manner that cancause the temperature indicator to malfunction or lose its reliability.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure generally relates to apparatuses and methods forindicating when a container has reached a certain temperature. In ageneral example embodiment, an activatable temperature indicatorincludes a housing, a first indicator portion held by the housing, thefirst indicator portion including a first material with a melting point,a second indicator portion held by the housing, the second indicatorportion including a second material configured to change color whencombined with the first material of the first indicator portion when thefirst material reaches the melting point, a separation member removeablypositioned between the first indicator portion and the second indicatorportion, and a biasing mechanism configured to bias the first indicatorportion and the second indicator portion into contact when theseparation member is removed from between the first indicator portionand the second indicator portion.

In another embodiment, the biasing mechanism includes at least onespring or spring strip.

In another embodiment, the biasing mechanism biases one of the firstindicator portion and the second indicator portion into contact with theother of the first indicator portion and the second indicator portion.

In another embodiment, at least one of the first indicator portion andthe second indicator portion is a porous tablet.

In another embodiment, the first material includes a wax mixture.

In another embodiment, the activatable temperature indicator includes aviewing port that allows the second indicator portion to be viewed fromoutside of the housing.

In another embodiment, the first indicator portion is positioned withina conductive cup held by the housing.

In another embodiment, the biasing mechanism biases the first indicatorportion and the second indicator portion into contact by biasing theconductive cup towards the second indicator portion.

In another embodiment, the housing includes stainless steel.

In another general embodiment, an activatable temperature indicatorincludes a lower housing including first material with a melting point,an upper housing including a second material configured to change colorwhen combined with the first material when the first material reachesthe melting point, and an attachment mechanism configured to attach theupper housing to the lower housing, wherein attachment of the upperhousing to the lower housing by the attachment mechanism places thefirst material in contact with the second material and holds the firstmaterial and the second material in contact when the first materialreaches the melting point.

In another embodiment, the first material is positioned in a conductivecup held by the lower housing.

In another embodiment, the conductive cup includes copper.

In another embodiment, the attachment mechanism includes at least onearm located on the lower housing, the at least one arm configured to fitinto at least one aperture of the upper housing.

In another embodiment, the upper housing includes an insulating memberpositioned around the second material.

In another embodiment, the lower housing includes a flange including abottom surface configured to attach to a container.

In another embodiment, the flange includes a plurality of feetconfigured to attach to the container.

In another embodiment, the attachment member attaches the upper housingto the lower housing when at least one of the upper housing and thelower housing is twisted with respect to the other of the upper housingand the lower housing.

In another embodiment, the housing includes stainless steel.

In another general embodiment, an activatable temperature indicatorincludes a housing including a bottom surface configured to attach to acontainer, a conductive cup located proximate to the bottom surface ofthe housing, a first indicator portion positioned within the conductivecup, the first indicator portion including a first material with amelting point, a second indicator portion held by the housing, thesecond indicator portion including a second material configured tochange color when combined with the first material of the firstindicator portion when the first material reaches the melting point, andan activation mechanism configured to bias the first indicator portionand the second indicator portion into contact before and after the firstmaterial reaches the melting point.

In another embodiment, the conductive cup includes copper.

In another embodiment, the activatable temperature indicator includes aseparation member removeably positioned between the first indicatorportion and the second indicator portion before the activation mechanismbiases the first indicator portion and the second indicator portion intocontact.

In another embodiment, the activation mechanism biases one of the firstindicator portion and the second indicator portion into contact with theother of the first indicator portion and the second indicator portion.

In another embodiment, the activation mechanism includes at least oneof: (i) an attachment mechanism; and (ii) a biasing mechanism.

In another embodiment, the housing includes an upper housing and a lowerhousing, and wherein the attachment mechanism biases the first indicatorportion and the second indicator portion into contact when at least oneof the upper housing and the lower housing is twisted with respect tothe other of the upper housing and the lower housing.

In another embodiment, the housing includes stainless steel.

In another general embodiment, a method of determining when contents ofa container have reached a threshold temperature includes placing ahousing on a container, the housing including a lower indicator portionand an upper indicator portion separated by a separation member, slidingthe separation member out from between the lower indicator portion andthe upper indicator portion, biasing at least one of the lower indicatorportion and the upper indicator portion towards the other of the lowerindicator portion and the upper indicator portion so that the lowerindicator portion remains in contact with the upper indicator portion,and viewing a change in color of the upper indicator portion when amaterial of the lower indicator portion migrates into the upperindicator portion.

In another general embodiment, a method of determining when contents ofa container have reached a threshold temperature includes placing alower housing on the container, the lower housing including a lowerindicator portion, attaching an upper housing to the lower housing sothat an upper indicator portion of the upper housing is biased againstthe lower indicator portion, and viewing a change in color of the upperindicator portion when a material of the lower indicator portionmigrates into the upper indicator portion.

In another embodiment, attaching the upper housing to the lower housingincludes twisting the upper housing onto the lower housing.

In another embodiment, the method includes attaching the upper housingto the lower housing by at least one arm extending from at least one ofthe upper housing and the lower housing.

In another general embodiment, a method of determining when contents ofa container have reached a threshold temperature includes attaching anupper housing including an upper indicator portion to a lower housingincluding a lower indicator portion so that at least one of the upperindicator portion and the lower indicator portion is biased against theother of the upper indicator portion and the lower indicator portion,placing the lower housing on the container, and viewing a change incolor of the upper indicator portion when a material of the lowerindicator portion migrates into the upper indicator portion.

In another embodiment, the method includes holding the lower indicatorportion within a conductive cup positioned in the lower housing.

In another embodiment, the method includes placing the lower housing onthe container so that the conductive cup contacts the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be explained in furtherdetail by way of example only with reference to the accompanyingfigures, in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a top perspective of an activatable temperatureindicator, according to one example embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 2 depicts a bottom perspective view of the activatable temperatureindicator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 depicts a cross-sectional view of the activatable temperatureindicator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 depicts an exploded view of the activatable temperature indicatorof FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 depicts a top perspective view of the lower housing of theactivatable temperature indicator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 depicts a bottom perspective view of the lower housing of theactivatable temperature indicator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 depicts a cross-sectional view of the lower housing of theactivatable temperature indicator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 depicts a top perspective view of the upper housing of theactivatable temperature indicator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 depicts a bottom perspective view of the upper housing of theactivatable temperature indicator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 depicts a cross-sectional view of the upper housing of theactivatable temperature indicator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 depicts a top perspective view of another activatabletemperature indicator, according to a second example embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 12 depicts a cross-sectional view of the activatable temperatureindicator of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 depicts a top perspective view of the lower housing of theactivatable temperature indicator of FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 depicts a bottom perspective view of the lower housing of theactivatable temperature indicator of FIG. 11;

FIG. 15 depicts a side plan view of the lower housing of the activatabletemperature indicator of FIG. 11;

FIG. 16 depicts a cross-sectional view of the lower housing of theactivatable temperature indicator of FIG. 11;

FIG. 17 depicts a top perspective view of the upper housing of theactivatable temperature indicator of FIG. 11;

FIG. 18 depicts a bottom perspective view of the upper housing of theactivatable temperature indicator of FIG. 11;

FIG. 19 depicts a cross-sectional view of the upper housing of theactivatable temperature indicator of FIG. 11;

FIG. 20 depicts a top perspective view of another activatabletemperature indicator, according to a third example embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 21 depicts a cross-sectional view of the activatable temperatureindicator of FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 depicts an exploded view of the activatable temperatureindicator of FIG. 20;

FIG. 23 depicts a rack that can be used in combination with theactivatable temperature indicator of FIG. 20.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before the disclosure is described, it is to be understood that thisdisclosure is not limited to the particular apparatuses and methodsdescribed. It is also to be understood that the terminology used hereinis for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is notintended to be limiting, since the scope of the present disclosure willbe limited only to the appended claims.

As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms“a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearlydictates otherwise. The methods and apparatuses disclosed herein maylack any element that is not specifically disclosed herein. Thus,“comprising,” as used herein, includes “consisting essentially of” and“consisting of.”

FIGS. 1 to 4 show an example embodiment of an activatable temperatureindicator 2 including a housing 4. In this embodiment, housing 4includes a lower housing 6 and a upper housing 8, between whichactivatable temperature indicator 2 further includes a conductive cup10, a lower indicator portion 12, an upper indicator portion 14, and aninsulating member 16. In use, and as explained in more detail below, thebottom surface 20 of lower housing 6 is placed against and adheres to acontainer, for example, a vial or blood bag, and a person can view achange in the temperature of the container by viewing a color change ofupper indicator portion 14 through an aperture 18 located in the centerof upper housing 8.

FIGS. 5 to 7 show lower housing 6 of activatable temperature indicator2. Lower housing 6 provides a foundation for the other components ofactivatable temperature indicator 2. In the disclosed embodiment, lowerhousing 6 is a spherical disk which includes a bottom surface 20 and atop surface 22. A flange 24 extends radially outward from the center oflower housing 6 at bottom surface 20 and can be used to attachactivatable temperature indicator 2 to a container using an adhesive orany other attachment mechanism known in the art. In an embodiment, lowerhousing 6 is made of a plastic, such as polyethylene terephthalateglycol-modified (PETG), is about 0.33 inches tall and about 1.5 inchesin diameter measured from the outer edges of flange 24, and the sidewalls 23 of lower housing 6 are about 0.04 inches wide. In anotherembodiment, lower housing 6 is made of stainless steel to preventevaporation of the material of lower indicator portion 12 and/or upperindicator portion 14. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understandthat any suitable materials and dimensions can be chosen for lowerhousing 6.

In the embodiment shown, flange 24 includes six feet 25 separated bysmall gaps 27. The bottom surface of each foot 25 attaches to acontainer, such as a blood bag, by use of an adhesive or anotherattachment mechanism known in the art. The use of a plurality of feet 25separated by small gaps 27 is particularly advantageous with a flexiblecontainer such as a blood bag because the separate feet 25 allow thebase of activatable temperature indicator 2 to conform to the flexiblecontainer. The gaps 27 also lead into apertures 30, which can be used toattach upper housing 8 to lower housing 6, as explained in more detailbelow.

The center of lower housing 6 includes an aperture 26 and a retainmentmember 28. Retainment member 28 can be used to hold conductive cup 10within aperture 26. In the embodiment shown, retainment member 28 holdsconductive cup 10 by providing an indentation 29 for a lip 33 ofconductive cup 10 to rest on and/or within.

Conductive cup 10 includes an indentation 34 for receiving and securinglower indicator portion 12, as shown in FIG. 3. The purpose ofconductive cup 10 is to provide increased heat conductivity withinactivatable temperature indicator 2, as explained in more detail below.In the embodiment shown, conductive cup 10 is a copper cup. In anembodiment, the outer diameter of lip 33 of conductive cup 10 is about0.55 inches, the walls of conductive cup 10 are about 0.0216 inchesthick, the diameter of indentation 34 is about 0.42 inches, and thedepth of indentation 34 is about 0.045 inches. In an alternativeembodiment, conductive cup 10 can be removed and/or retainment member 28can be configured to directly hold onto lower indicator portion 12.

FIGS. 8 to 10 show upper housing 8 of activatable temperature indicator2. Upper housing 8 attaches to lower housing 6 to activate activatabletemperature indicator 2 by securing upper indicator portion 14 againstlower indicator portion 12. In the disclosed embodiment, upper housing 8is a spherical disk which includes a bottom surface 42, a top surface44, a center portion 46 and at least one attachment member 48. In anembodiment, upper housing 8 is made of a plastic, such as polyethyleneterephthalate glycol-modified (PETG), is about 0.315 inches tall andabout 1.18 inches in diameter, with the wall 43 of the top surface 44being about 0.02 inches wide, and the wall 45 of the center portion 46being about 0.04 inches wide. In another embodiment, upper housing 8 ismade of stainless steel to prevent evaporation of the material of lowerindicator portion 12 and/or upper indicator portion 14. Those ofordinary skill in the art will understand that any suitable materialsand dimensions can be chosen for upper housing 8.

Attachment member 48 attaches upper housing 8 to lower housing 6. In thedisclosed embodiment, attachment member 48 is an arm that extends upwardfrom bottom surface 42 and that fits underneath a wall 21 of top surface22 of lower housing 6 through apertures 30 in lower housing 6 to attachupper housing 8 to lower housing 6. Once attached to lower housing 6,the upper edge of attachment member 48 presses against wall 21 of topsurface 22, which in combination with the shapes of the upper housing 8and the lower housing 6 provides a biasing force to keep upper housing 8from separating from lower housing 6 and to keep upper indicator portion14 in contact with lower indicator portion 12. Those of ordinary skillin the art will understand that any suitable attachment member can beused to attach upper housing 8 to lower housing 6, for example, threads,clamps, etc. Those of ordinary skill in the art will further recognizethat one or more attachment members can be located on lower housing 6,on upper housing 8, or on both lower housing 6 and upper housing 8. Inthe embodiment shown, upper housing 8 includes six attachment members 48that are configured to fit into six corresponding apertures 30 of lowerhousing 6.

Center portion 46 of upper housing 8 includes a retainment section 50that is configured to secure upper indicator portion 14 so that upperindicator portion 14 is held against lower indicator portion 12 whenupper housing 8 is attached to lower housing 6. In the disclosedembodiment, retainment section 50 is a spherical-shaped indentationwhich allows upper indicator portion 14 to fit into center portion 46,but those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize other suitablemechanisms for securing upper indicator portion 14.

In the embodiment shown, lower indicator portion 12 and upper indicatorportion 14 are porous tablets, such as disks, including a foam plasticsuch as polyethylene. In an embodiment, lower indicator portion 12 has aheight of about 0.045 inches and a diameter of about 0.42 inches, andupper indicator portion 14 has an upper height of about 0.020 inches, anupper diameter of about 0.30 inches, a lower height of about 0.025inches and a lower diameter of about 0.25 inches. The upper height andupper diameter of upper indicator portion 14 correspond to the sectionof portion 14 that includes a step 52 that fits into the indentation ofretainment section 50, and the lower height and lower diameter of upperindicator portion 14 correspond to the section of portion 14 that comesinto contact with lower indicator portion 12. Those of ordinary skill inthe art will recognize that other shapes and materials can be used forlower indicator portion 12 and upper indicator portion 14.

Lower indicator portion 12 is filled with a material, such as a waxmixture, with a melting point. In an embodiment, the material is a waxmixture that includes an alkane wax and a liquid dye. When lowerindicator portion 12 is held against upper indicator portion 14 and thematerial of lower indicator portion 12 reaches its melting point, thematerial migrates into upper indicator portion 14 and changes the colorof upper indicator portion 14. A user viewing upper indicator portion 14through aperture 18 can therefore determine when lower indicator portion12 has reached the melting point by viewing the change in color of upperindicator portion 14. In an embodiment, aperture 18 can include aviewing port or a viewing window with a layer of glass or plastic toallow viewing of upper indicator portion from outside housing 4. Such alayer can be sufficiently transparent to allow color changes that meetcolor change standards to be readily observed.

An indicator portion material as described herein can be a solid,liquid, gel, semi-solid, colloid, or the like that can change state,color, transparency, or a combination thereof upon introduction to apredetermined condition. For example, a clear colloid may become opaqueor white when subjected to a predetermined condition. In someembodiments, the indicator portion material goes from clear to opaque ordarkly colored, or from opaque or darkly colored to clear, when theindicator portion is subjected to the predetermined condition. Apredetermined condition can be a desired or undesired condition forwhich indication that such a condition has been met can be determined.For example, a predetermined condition may be freezing, boiling, aparticular temperature or range of temperatures, a low temperaturethreshold, a high temperature threshold, a thermal history, exposure tolight, exposure to a particular wavelength of light such as UV light,exposure to liquid such as humidity, exposure to excess pressure,subject to contamination such as bacteria, or the like, or a combinationthereof. In one embodiment, the predetermined condition is the substancein the container reaching a temperature that causes the material oflower indicator portion 12 to reach its melting point.

Color includes achromatic visual appearances, for example, black, gray,and white, and chromatic visual appearances, including primary colorhues, secondary color hues and/or other color hues, for example, withoutlimitation, red, yellow, green, blue, purple, orange, brown, etc. Thenatural color of the colorant refers to the appearance of the colorant,including, intensity, shade, tint, hue, etc., in the same medium and atthe same concentration or amount without any scattering effect. The term“color change” and its grammatical variants are used to refer to changesin hue, intensity or lightness (or darkness) or other changes in visualappearance.

Activatable temperature indicator 2 is activated when upper indicatorportion 14 and lower indicator portion 12 are placed in contact. Asshown in FIG. 3, the attachment of upper housing 8 to lower housing 6activates activatable temperature indicator 2 by placing upper indicatorportion 14 in contact with lower indicator portion 12 at the center ofactivatable temperature indicator 2. In the disclosed embodiment, eachof the six attachment members 48 fit into corresponding apertures 30 inlower housing 6 and contact wall 21 of top surface 22 of lower housing6, which provides a biasing force to hold upper housing 8 against lowerhousing 6 and to hold upper indicator portion 14 against lower indicatorportion 12. As shown in FIG. 3, the attachment of upper housing 8 tolower housing 6 places upper indicator portion 14 into center aperture26 of lower housing 6 and in contact with lower indicator portion 12,which is held within conductive cup 10 in the center of lower housing 6.In this way, attachment member 48 acts as an activation mechanism toactivate activatable temperature indicator 2 for use. The force from theplurality of attachment members 48 against wall 21 of lower housing 6 incombination with the shapes of the upper housing 8 and the lower housing6 provides a biasing spring force that ensures that upper indicatorportion 14 will remain in contact with lower indicator portion 12 aslong as upper housing 8 remains attached to lower housing 6. In anembodiment, housing 4 can function similar to a Bellville spring-washerwhen locked into place, wherein a biasing force is provided by a slightdeformation of the dome-shape of upper housing 8 and/or lower housing 6.Activatable temperature indicator 2 can also be provided with one ormore springs or spring strips to provide a spring force to ensure thatlower indicator portion 12 and upper indicator portion 14 remain incontact during use of activatable temperature indicator 2. Onceactivatable temperature indicator has been activated, upper indicatorportion 14 remains in contact with lower indicator portion 12 until thematerial from lower indicator portion 12 melts and migrates to upperindicator portion 14, at which point activatable temperature indicator 2can be discarded.

As shown in FIG. 3, activatable temperature indicator 2 can include aninsulating member 16 that is placed between upper housing 8 and lowerhousing 6 when upper housing 8 is attached to lower housing 6. In anembodiment, insulating member 16 is a foam disk, made of a polyurethanefoam or a rubber foam, but those of ordinary skill in the art willrecognize other materials to use for insulation. The purpose ofinsulating member 16 is to insulate upper indicator portion 14 fromoutside air. Insulating member 16 can be provided as part of lowerhousing 6, as part of upper housing 8, or as a separate element placedbetween lower housing 6 and upper housing 8 when lower housing 6 andupper housing 8 are attached. In the embodiment shown, insulating member16 is friction fit around center portion 46 of upper housing 8 so thatthe attachment of upper housing 8 to lower housing 6 places insulatingmember 16 between upper housing 8 and lower housing 6.

By using conductive cup 10 and/or insulating member 16, activatabletemperature indicator 2 can accurately control the temperature of lowerindicator portion 12 and upper indicator portion 14. Conductive cup 10increases heat conductivity between the container upon which indicator 2is placed and lower indicator portion 12 which is positioned withinconductive cup 10. Insulating member 16 insulates the center of upperhousing 8, including upper indicator portion 14, from outside air. Thus,by using one or both of conductive cup 10 and insulating member 16,activatable temperature indicator 2 can more correctly identify when thecontainer has reached the temperature which causes the material in lowertemperature indicator 12 to reach its melting point. That is, conductivecup 10 passively directs heat flow and ensures that lower indicatorportion 12 is as close to the temperature of the container as possible,and insulating member 16 forms a thermal barrier between the outside ofactivatable temperature indicator 2 and aperture 18, ensuring that thetemperature of the surrounding environment has a minimal effect onactivatable temperature indicator 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the bottomsurface 35 of conductive cup 10 can protrude slightly from the bottomsurface 20 of lower housing 6, ensuring that conductive cup 10 contactsand remains in contact with a container during use of activatabletemperature indicator 2. The bottom surface 20 of lower housing 6 canalso provide an air gap 17 around cupper cup 10 for additionalinsulation.

An advantage of activatable temperature indicator 2 is that theconfiguration and placement of lower indicator portion 12 and upperindicator portion 14, as well as the activation by attachment of upperhousing 8 to lower housing 6, keeps a person's fingers away from thecenter of housing 4 during attachment. This is critical to preventing aninstant response from activatable temperature indicator 2 by activationfrom a person's body heat. That is, when a person's fingers are placedin proximity to one or both of upper indicator portion 14 and lowerindicator portion 12, the person's body heat can affect the temperaturesof the indicator portions and cause the material in lower indicatorportion 12 to melt and/or migrate to upper indicator portion 14.Activatable temperature indicator 2 avoids this problem becauseattachment mechanism 48 allows a person to attach upper housing 8 tolower housing 6 without placing the person's fingers near upperindicator portion 14 and lower indicator portion 12 during theattachment and/or activation of activatable temperature indicator 2.

FIGS. 11 to 19 show an alternative embodiment of an activatabletemperature indicator 102 including a housing 104. In this embodiment,housing 104 includes a lower housing 106 and a upper housing 108,between which activatable temperature indicator 102 further includes aconductive cup 110, a lower indicator portion 112, an upper indicatorportion 114, and an insulating member 116. In use, the bottom surface120 of lower housing 106 is placed against and adheres to a container,for example, a vial or blood bag, and a person can view a change in thetemperature of the container by viewing a color change of upperindicator portion 114 through an aperture 118 located in the center ofupper housing 108. Activatable temperature indicator 102 functionssimilarly to activatable temperature indicator 2 and may include any ofthe features of activatable temperature indicator 2. Activatabletemperature indicators 2 likewise may include any of the features ofactivatable temperature indicator 102.

FIGS. 13 to 16 show lower housing 106 of activatable temperatureindicator 102. Lower housing 106 provides a foundation for the othercomponents of activatable temperature indicator 102. In the disclosedembodiment, lower housing 106 is a spherical disk which includes abottom surface 120, a top surface 122, and at least one attachmentmember 148. A flange 124 extends radially outward from the center oflower housing 106 at bottom surface 120 and can be used to attachactivatable temperature indicator 102 to a container using an adhesiveor any other attachment mechanism known in the art. In an embodiment,lower housing 106 is made of a plastic, such as polyethyleneterephthalate glycol-modified (PETG), is about 0.19 inches tall andabout 1.5 inches in diameter measured from the outer edges of flange 24.In another embodiment, lower housing 106 is made of stainless steel toprevent evaporation of the material of lower indicator portion 112and/or upper indicator portion 114. Those of ordinary skill in the artwill understand that any suitable materials and dimensions can be chosenfor lower housing 106.

In the embodiment shown, flange 124 includes six feet 125 separated bysmall gaps 127. The bottom surface of each foot 125 attaches to acontainer, such as a blood bag, by use of an adhesive or anotherattachment mechanism known in the art. The use of a plurality of feet125 separated by small gaps 127 is particularly advantageous with aflexible container such as a blood bag because the separate feet 125allow the base of activatable temperature indicator 102 to conform tothe flexible container.

The center of lower housing 106 includes an aperture 126 and aretainment member 128. Retainment member 128 can be used to holdconductive cup 110 within aperture 126. In the embodiment shown,retainment member 28 holds conductive cup 10 by rolling underneathcopper cup 10, as shown in FIG. 12.

Conductive cup 110 includes an indentation 134 for receiving andsecuring lower indicator portion 112, as shown in FIG. 12. As discussedabove, the purpose of conductive cup 110 is to provide increased heatconductivity within activatable temperature indicator 102. In theembodiment shown, conductive cup 110 is a copper cup. In an embodiment,the outer diameter of lip 133 of conductive cup 110 is about 0.55inches, the walls of conductive cup 110 are about 0.016 inches thick,the diameter of indentation 134 is about 0.42 inches, and the depth ofindentation 134 is about 0.051 inches. In an alternative embodiment,conductive cup 110 can be removed and/or retainment member 128 can beconfigured to directly hold onto lower indicator portion 112.

FIGS. 17 to 19 show upper housing 108 of activatable temperatureindicator 102. Upper housing 108 attaches to lower housing 106 toactivate activatable temperature indicator 102 by securing upperindicator portion 114 against lower indicator portion 112. In thedisclosed embodiment, upper housing 108 is a spherical disk whichincludes a bottom surface 142, a top surface 144 and a center portion146. In an embodiment, upper housing 108 is made of a plastic, such aspolyethylene terephthalate glycol-modified (PETG), and is about 0.19inches tall and about 1.13 inches in diameter. In another embodiment,upper housing 108 is made of stainless steel to prevent evaporation ofthe material of lower indicator portion 112 and/or upper indicatorportion 114. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that anysuitable materials and dimensions can be chosen for upper housing 108.

Center portion 146 of upper housing 108 includes a retainment section150 that is configured to secure upper indicator portion 114 so thatupper indicator portion 114 is held against lower indicator portion 112when upper housing 108 is attached to lower housing 106. In thedisclosed embodiment, retainment section 150 is a spherical-shapedindentation which allows upper indicator portion 114 to fit into centerportion 146, but those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize othersuitable mechanisms for securing upper indicator portion 114. In theembodiment shown, retainment section 150 includes members 153 that rollunderneath upper indicator portion 114, as shown in FIG. 12.

Attachment member 148 attaches upper housing 108 to lower housing 106.In the disclosed embodiment, attachment member 148 is an arm thatextends radially outward from side wall 123 of lower housing 106. Whenupper housing 108 is placed on top of lower housing 106, each attachmentmember 148 is placed through a corresponding aperture 147 in the lowersurface 142 of upper housing 108. Upper housing 108 can then be twistedwith respect to lower housing 106 to attach upper housing 108 to lowerhousing 106.

As shown in FIG. 15, each attachment member 148 is downwardly angledfrom a first side 160 to a second side 161 towards bottom surface 120.After attachment member 148 is placed through aperture 147 in the lowersurface 142 of upper housing 108, upper housing 108 is twisted withrespect to lower housing 106 so that attachment member 148 moves acrossaperture 149 of side wall 143 and the bottom surface 162 of attachmentmember 148 covers ledge 151 of upper housing 108. When attachment member148 is first placed through aperture 147, ledge 151 is located at firstside 160. As upper housing 108 is twisted with respect to lower housing106, bottom surface 162 presses against ledge 151 and the angle ofattachment member 148 pushes upper housing 108 downward towards lowerhousing 106 to secure upper housing 108 to lower housing 106, and toactivate activatable temperature indicator 102 by securing upperindicator portion 114 against lower indicator portion 112.

After attachment, bottom surface 162 of attachment member 148 continuesto press against ledge 151 of upper housing 108, which provides abiasing force to keep upper housing 108 from separating from lowerhousing 106 and to keep upper indicator portion 114 in contact withlower indicator portion 112. In an embodiment, housing 104 can functionsimilar to a Bellville spring-washer when locked into place, wherein abiasing force can be provided by a slight deformation of the dome-shapeof upper housing 108 and/or lower housing 106. Those of ordinary skillin the art will further recognize that one or more attachment memberscan be located on lower housing 106, on upper housing 108, or on bothlower housing 106 and upper housing 108. In the embodiment shown, lowerhousing 106 includes six attachment members 148 that are configured tofit into six corresponding apertures 149 of upper housing 108.

Similar to lower indicator portion 12 and upper indicator portion 14, inthe embodiment shown, lower indicator portion 112 and upper indicatorportion 114 are porous tablets, such as disks, including a foam plasticsuch as polyethylene. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognizethat other shapes and materials can be used for lower indicator portion112 and upper indicator portion 114. Lower indicator portion 112 isfilled with a material, such as a wax mixture, with a melting point. Inan embodiment, the material is a wax mixture that includes an alkane waxand a liquid dye. When lower indicator portion 112 is held against upperindicator portion 114 and the material of lower indicator portion 112reaches its melting point, the material migrates into upper indicatorportion 114 and changes the color of upper indicator portion 114. A userviewing upper indicator portion 114 through aperture 118 can thereforedetermine when lower indicator portion 112 has reached the melting pointby viewing the change in color of upper indicator portion 114. In anembodiment, aperture 118 can include a viewing port or a viewing windowwith a layer of glass or plastic to allow viewing of upper indicatorportion from outside housing 104. Such a layer can be sufficientlytransparent to allow color changes that meet color change standards tobe readily observed.

Activatable temperature indicator 102 is activated when upper indicatorportion 114 and lower indicator portion 112 are placed in contact. Asshown in FIG. 12, the attachment of upper housing 108 to lower housing106 activates activatable temperature indicator 102 by placing upperindicator portion 114 in contact with lower indicator portion 112 at thecenter of activatable temperature indicator 102. In the disclosedembodiment, each of the six attachment members 148 fit intocorresponding apertures 147, 149 in lower housing 106 and push ledge 151of upper housing 108 downward towards lower housing 108, which providesa biasing force to hold upper housing 108 against lower housing 106 andto hold upper indicator portion 114 against lower indicator portion 112.As shown in FIG. 12, the attachment of upper housing 108 to lowerhousing 106 places upper indicator portion 114 into center aperture 126of lower housing 106 and in contact with lower indicator portion 112,which is held within conductive cup 110 in the center of lower housing106. In this way, attachment member 148 acts as an activation mechanismto activate activatable temperature indicator 102 for use. The forcefrom the plurality of attachment members 148 against ledge 151 providesa biasing spring force that ensures that upper indicator portion 114will remain in contact with lower indicator portion 112 as long as upperhousing 108 remains attached to lower housing 106. Activatabletemperature indicator 102 can also be provided with one or more springsor spring strips to provide a spring force to ensure that lowerindicator portion 112 and upper indicator portion 114 remain in contactduring use of activatable temperature indicator 102. Once activatabletemperature indicator has been activated, upper indicator portion 114remains in contact with lower indicator portion 112 until the materialfrom lower indicator portion 112 melts and migrates to upper indicatorportion 114, at which point activatable temperature indicator 102 can bediscarded.

As shown in FIG. 12, activatable temperature indicator 102 can includean insulating member 116 that is placed between upper housing 108 andlower housing 106 when upper housing 108 is attached to lower housing106. In an embodiment, insulating member 116 is a foam disk, made of apolyurethane foam or a rubber foam, but those of ordinary skill in theart will recognize other materials to use for insulation. The purpose ofinsulating member 116 is to insulate upper indicator portion 114 fromoutside air. Insulating member 116 can be provided as part of lowerhousing 106, as part of upper housing 108, or as a separate elementplaced between lower housing 106 and upper housing 108 when lowerhousing 106 and upper housing 108 are attached. In the embodiment shown,insulating member 116 is placed in a ring-shaped aperture of lowerhousing 106 so that the attachment of upper housing 108 to lower housing106 places insulating member 116 between upper housing 108 and lowerhousing 106.

By using conductive cup 110 and/or insulating member 116, activatabletemperature indicator 102 can accurately control the temperature oflower indicator portion 112 and upper indicator portion 114. Conductivecup 110 increases heat conductivity between the container upon whichindicator 102 is placed and lower indicator portion 112 which ispositioned within conductive cup 110. Insulating member 116 insulatesthe center of upper housing 108, including upper indicator portion 114,from outside air. Thus, by using one or both of conductive cup 110 andinsulating member 116, activatable temperature indicator 102 can morecorrectly identify when the container has reached the temperature whichcauses the material in lower temperature indicator 112 to reach itsmelting point. That is, conductive cup 110 passively directs heat flowand ensures that lower indicator portion 112 is as close to thetemperature of the container as possible, and insulating member 116forms a thermal barrier between the outside of activatable temperatureindicator 102 and aperture 118, ensuring that the temperature of thesurrounding environment has a minimal effect on activatable temperatureindicator 102. As shown in FIG. 12, the bottom surface 135 of conductivecup 110 can protrude slightly from the bottom surface 120 of lowerhousing 106, ensuring that conductive cup 110 contacts and remains incontact with a container during use of activatable temperature indicator102. The bottom surface 120 of lower housing 106 can also provide an airgap 117 around cupper cup 110 for additional insulation.

Like with activatable temperature indicator 2, activatable temperatureindicator 102 is advantageous because attachment member 148 allows aperson to activate activatable temperature indicator 102 without placingthe person's fingers near upper indicator portion 114 and/or lowerindicator portion 112. A person is able to keep their fingers away fromthe indicator portions because all the person must do is twist upperhousing 108 and/or lower housing 106 with respect to each other to forceupper indicator portion 114 and lower indicator portion 112 intocontact.

FIGS. 20 to 22 show an alternative embodiment of an activatabletemperature indicator 202 including a housing 204. In this embodiment,housing 204 includes a lower housing 206 and a upper housing 208,between which activatable temperature indicator 202 further includes aconductive cup 210, a lower indicator portion 212, an upper indicatorportion 214, a biasing mechanism 218 and a separation member 220. Inuse, the bottom surface 222 of lower housing 206 is placed against andadheres to a container, for example, a vial or blood bag, and a personcan view a change in the temperature of the container by viewing achange in color of upper indicator portion 214 through an aperture 230.Activatable temperature indicator 202 functions similarly to activatabletemperature indicators 2, 102 and may include any of the features ofactivatable temperature indicators 2, 102. Activatable temperatureindicators 2, 102 likewise may include any of the features ofactivatable temperature indicator 202.

In the embodiment shown, lower indicator portion 212 and upper indicatorportion 214 are porous tablets, such as disks, including a foam plasticsuch as polyethylene. In an embodiment, lower indicator portion 212 hasa height of about 0.065 inches and a diameter of about 0.29 inches, andupper indicator portion 214 has an upper height of 0.020 inches, anupper diameter of about 0.29 inches, and a lower height of about 0.025inches and a lower diameter of about 0.25 inches. The upper height andupper diameter of upper indicator portion 214 correspond to the sectionthat includes a step 252 that fits onto a ledge of holding cup 254, andthe lower height and lower diameter of upper indicator portion 214correspond to the section that comes into contact with lower indicatorportion 212. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize thatother shapes and materials can be used for lower indicator portion 212and upper indicator portion 214.

Lower indicator portion 212 is filled with a material, such as a waxmixture, with a melting point. In an embodiment, the material is a waxmixture that includes an alkane wax and a liquid dye. When lowerindicator portion 212 is held against upper indicator portion 214 andthe material of lower indicator portion 212 reaches its melting point,the material migrates into upper indicator portion 214 and changes thecolor of upper indicator portion 214. A user viewing upper indicatorportion 214 can therefore determine when lower indicator portion 212 hasreached the melting point by viewing the change in color of upperindicator portion 214.

Lower housing 106 of activatable temperature indicator 202 can be madeof stainless steel or any other suitable material. In an embodiment,stainless steel can be used to prevent evaporation of the material oflower indicator portion 212 and/or upper indicator portion 214. In theembodiment shown, lower housing 206 includes two flanges 224. The bottomsurface 222 of flanges 224 can be placed against and adhere to acontainer, and top surface 226 of flanges 224 can receive correspondingflanges 232 of upper housing 208. When upper housing 208 is placed ontop of lower housing 206, the outer edges 228 of flanges 224 of lowerhousing 206 can be folded over flanges 232 of upper housing 208 tosecure upper housing 208 to lower housing 206. The attachment of upperhousing 208 to lower housing 206 does not activate activatabletemperature indicator 202 due to the presence of separation member 220between lower indicator portion 212 and upper indicator portion 214. Inan embodiment, lower housing 206 has a width of about 0.72 inches fromthe outer edges of flanges 224, a height of about 0.0725 inches, alength of about 0.750 inches, and a wall thickness of about 0.125inches.

Lower housing 206 includes a central aperture 240 configured to receiveconductive cup 210. In the embodiment shown, conductive cup 210 includesa lip 233 which rests on biasing mechanism 218 so that the base 235 ofconductive cup 210 protrudes through aperture 219 of biasing mechanism218 and aperture 240 of lower housing 206. Those of ordinary skill inthe art will recognize other ways to position conductive cup 210 withrespect to biasing mechanism 218 and lower housing 106.

Conductive cup 210 includes an indentation 211 for receiving andsecuring lower indicator portion 212. One purpose of conductive cup 210is to provide increased heat conductivity within activatable temperatureindicator 202. In the embodiment shown, conductive cup 210 is a coppercup. Copper is chosen because of its relatively high heat conductivity;it will be appreciated that other materials with good conductivity maybe used in the alternative. In an embodiment, the outer diameter of lip233 of conductive cup 210 is about 0.45 inches, the walls of conductivecup 210 are about 0.0125 inches thick, the diameter of indentation 211is about 0.29 inches, and the depth of indentation 211 is about 0.075inches.

In the embodiment shown, lip 233 of conductive cup 210 is placed on topof biasing mechanism 218 and the base 235 of copper cup 210 rests in anaperture 219 of biasing mechanism 218. Biasing mechanism 218 provides abiasing spring force to push conductive cup 210 and therefore lowerindicator portion 212 into separation member 220 when separation member220 is located between lower housing 206 and upper housing 208. Biasingmember also provides a biasing spring force that pushes lower indicatorportion 212, which is positioned within conductive cup 210, into contactwith upper indicator portion 214 when separation member 220 has beenremoved from between lower indicator portion 212 and upper indicatorportion 214. In an embodiment, biasing mechanism 218 can include one ormore springs or spring strips. Those of ordinary skill in the art willrecognize other configurations which allow biasing mechanism 218 to pushlower indicator portion 212 into contact with upper indicator portion214 when separation member 220 has been removed. In an alternativeembodiment, conductive cup 210 can be removed and/or lower housing 206and/or biasing mechanism 218 can be configured to directly hold ontolower indicator portion 212.

Upper housing 208 includes a central aperture 250 that is configured toreceive upper indicator portion 214. Upper housing 208 of activatabletemperature indicator 202 can be made of stainless steel or any othersuitable material. In an embodiment, stainless steel can be used toprevent evaporation of the material of lower indicator portion 212and/or upper indicator portion 214. In an embodiment, upper housing 208has a width of about 0.705 inches from the outer edges of its flanges232, a height of about 0.1655 inches, a length of about 0.750 inches,and a thickness of about 0.125 inches, and central aperture 250 is about0.32 inches in diameter.

In the embodiment shown, upper indicator portion 214 includes a step 252that fits onto a ledge of a holding cup 254 and that allows upperindicator portion 214 to protrude through holding cup 254 and contactlower indicator portion 212 when separation member 220 has been removedfrom between lower indicator portion 212 and upper indicator portion214. A retainer 258, having an aperture or viewing port 230 in thecenter thereof, can be placed on top of upper indicator portion 214 tohold upper indicator portion 214 in place within holding cup 254. Aviewing window 256 can also be placed on top of upper indicator portion214 and/or between lower indicator portion 214 and disk retainer 258. Inan embodiment, holding cup 254 has an outer diameter of about 0.41inches and an inner diameter of about 0.29 inches, viewing window 256has an outer diameter of about 0.29 inches and a thickness of about 0.30inches, and retainer 258 has a width of about 0.710 inches, a length ofabout 0.42 inches, a thickness of about 0.125 inches, and an aperturethat has a diameter of about 0.25 inches.

As set forth above, upper housing 208 can be attached to lower housing206 without activating activatable temperature indicator 202 due to thepresence of separation member 220. Activatable temperature indicator 202is then activated by sliding separation member 220 in a directionparallel to a contact surface 213 of lower indicator portion 212 and/ora contact surface 215 of upper indicator portion 214 so that separationmember 220 no longer lies between lower indicator portion 212 and upperindicator portion 214. Once separation member 220 has been slid to theside, biasing mechanism 218 forces conductive cup 210 and lowerindicator portion 212 upward, which causes surface 213 of lowerindicator portion 212 to contact surface 215 of upper indicator portion214. In this way, biasing mechanism 218 acts as an activation mechanismto activate activatable temperature indicator 202 for use.Alternatively, biasing mechanism 218 can be positioned to bias anotherelement of activatable temperature indicator 202, such as lowerindicator portion 212 without conductive cup 210 and/or upper indicatorportion 214. In an embodiment, biasing member 218 can be positioned tobias upper indicator portion 214 downward into lower indicator portion212 when separation member 220 has been removed. Those of ordinary skillin the art will appreciate that biasing member 218 can be placed intodifferent positions to achieve the same effect of activating activatabletemperature indicators 2, 102 by biasing at least one of lower indicatorportion 212 and upper indicator portion 214 against the other of lowerindicator portion 212 and upper indicator portion 214.

Once separation member 220 has been removed, the biasing spring forceprovided by biasing mechanism 218 causes lower indicator portion 212 toremain in contact with upper indicator portion 214. Then, when thematerial of lower indicator portion 212 reaches a melting point, thematerial migrates into upper indicator portion 214 and changes the colorof upper indicator portion 214. A user viewing upper indicator portion214 can determine when the material of lower indicator portion 212 hasreached the melting point by viewing the change in color of upperindicator portion 214 through viewing port 230, which can include alayer of glass or plastic to allow viewing of upper indicator portionfrom outside housing 4. Such a layer can be sufficiently transparent toallow color changes that meet color change standards to be readilyobserved.

In the embodiment shown, separation member 220 is a stainless steelU-shaped panel with a length of about 1 inch, a width of about 0.49inches, and a height of about 0.063 inches. Those of ordinary skill inthe art will recognize other suitable materials and dimensions to usefor separation member 220. Those of ordinary skill in the art will alsorecognize other ways to place separation member 220 within activatabletemperature indicator 202 to achieve the same effect of allowing lowerindicator portion 212 to contact upper indicator portion 214 only whenseparation member 220 is removed.

In the embodiment show, biasing member 218 is a stainless steel springstrip. In an embodiment, biasing member 218 is about 0.75 inches long,about 0.52 inches wide, has an aperture 219 with a diameter of about0.34 inches, and has a radius of curvature of about 0.130 inches so thatbiasing member 218 stands about 0.475 inches high when it is notexerting a biasing force. In an alternative embodiment, biasing member218 can be one or more springs and/or spring strips. Those of ordinaryskill in the art will recognize other configurations, materials anddimensions for biasing member 218.

Like with activatable temperature indicators 2, 102, copper cup 210 canbe used to control the temperature of lower indicator portion 212 andupper indicator portion 214. Conductive cup 210 increases heatconductivity between the container upon which indicator 202 is placedand lower indicator portion 212 which is positioned within conductivecup 210. That is, conductive cup 210 passively directs heat flow andensures that lower indicator portion 212 is as close to the temperatureof the container as possible.

Activatable temperature indicator 202 can also include an insulatingmember, such as insulating member 16, to insulate the center of upperhousing 208, upper indicator portion 214 and/or lower indicator portion212 from outside air. In this way, activatable temperature indicator 202can more correctly identify when the container has reached thetemperature which causes the material in lower temperature indicator toreach its melting point. The insulating member can be used to form athermal barrier from the outside of activatable temperature indicator202, ensuring that the temperature of the surrounding environment has aminimal effect on activatable temperature indicator 202.

FIG. 23 depicts a rack 270 configured to hold a plurality of vials 280.As illustrated, the vials are mounted underneath a rectangularattachment member 272 including a clamp 274 for each vial 280. Anactivatable temperature indicator 202 can slide directly over eachattachment member 272 to monitor each vial 280 located thereunder. Inthis way, each vial 280 can be monitored to determine when its contentsreach the melting temperature of the material of each lower indicatorportion 212. The specific rectangular shape of activatable temperatureindicator 202 makes it easier to apply each activatable temperatureindicator 202 to each attachment mechanism 272.

Like with activatable temperature indicators 2, 102, activatabletemperature indicator 202 is advantageous because separation member 220allows a person to activate activatable temperature indicator 202without placing the person's fingers near upper indicator portion 214and/or lower indicator portion 212. A person is able to keep theirfingers away from the indicator portions because all the person must dois slide separation member 220 so that biasing mechanism 218 can forceupper indicator portion 214 and lower indicator portion 212 intocontact.

It should be understood that various changes and modifications to thepresently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent tothose skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present subjectmatter and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is thereforeintended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appendedclaims.

1. An activatable temperature indicator comprising: a housing; a firstindicator portion held by the housing, the first indicator portionincluding a first material with a melting point; a second indicatorportion held by the housing, the second indicator portion including asecond material configured to change color when combined with the firstmaterial of the first indicator portion when the first material reachesthe melting point; a separation member removeably positioned between thefirst indicator portion and the second indicator portion; and a biasingmechanism configured to bias the first indicator portion and the secondindicator portion into contact when the separation member is removedfrom between the first indicator portion and the second indicatorportion.
 2. The activatable temperature indicator of claim 1, whereinthe biasing mechanism includes at least one spring or spring strip. 3.The activatable temperature indicator of claim 1, wherein the biasingmechanism biases one of the first indicator portion and the secondindicator portion into contact with the other of the first indicatorportion and the second indicator portion.
 4. The activatable temperatureindicator of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first indicatorportion and the second indicator portion is a porous tablet.
 5. Theactivatable temperature indicator of claim 1, wherein the first materialincludes a wax mixture.
 6. The activatable temperature indicator ofclaim 1, which includes a viewing port that allows the second indicatorportion to be viewed from outside of the housing.
 7. The activatabletemperature indicator of claim 1, wherein the first indicator portion ispositioned within a conductive cup held by the housing.
 8. Theactivatable temperature indicator of claim 7, wherein the biasingmechanism biases the first indicator portion and the second indicatorportion into contact by biasing the conductive cup towards the secondindicator portion.
 9. (canceled)
 10. An activatable temperatureindicator comprising: a lower housing including first material with amelting point; an upper housing including a second material configuredto change color when combined with the first material when the firstmaterial reaches the melting point; and an attachment mechanismconfigured to attach the upper housing to the lower housing, whereinattachment of the upper housing to the lower housing by the attachmentmechanism places the first material in contact with the second materialand holds the first material and the second material in contact when thefirst material reaches the melting point.
 11. The activatabletemperature indicator of claim 10, wherein the first material ispositioned in a conductive cup held by the lower housing.
 12. (canceled)13. The activatable temperature indicator of claim 10, wherein theattachment mechanism includes at least one arm located on the lowerhousing, the at least one arm configured to fit into at least oneaperture of the upper housing.
 14. The activatable temperature indicatorof claim 10, wherein the upper housing includes an insulating memberpositioned around the second material.
 15. The activatable temperatureindicator of claim 10, wherein the lower housing includes a flangeincluding a bottom surface configured to attach to a container. 16.(canceled)
 17. The activatable temperature indicator of claim 10,wherein the attachment member attaches the upper housing to the lowerhousing when at least one of the upper housing and the lower housing istwisted with respect to the other of the upper housing and the lowerhousing.
 18. (canceled)
 19. An activatable temperature indicatorcomprising: a housing including a bottom surface configured to attach toa container; a conductive cup located proximate to the bottom surface ofthe housing; a first indicator portion positioned within the conductivecup, the first indicator portion including a first material with amelting point; a second indicator portion held by the housing, thesecond indicator portion including a second material configured tochange color when combined with the first material of the firstindicator portion when the first material reaches the melting point; andan activation mechanism configured to bias the first indicator portionand the second indicator portion into contact before and after the firstmaterial reaches the melting point.
 20. The activatable temperatureindicator of claim 19, wherein the conductive cup includes copper. 21.The activatable temperature indicator of claim 19, which includes aseparation member removeably positioned between the first indicatorportion and the second indicator portion before the activation mechanismbiases the first indicator portion and the second indicator portion intocontact.
 22. The activatable temperature indicator of claim 19, whereinthe activation mechanism biases one of the first indicator portion andthe second indicator portion into contact with the other of the firstindicator portion and the second indicator portion.
 23. The activatabletemperature indicator of claim 19, wherein the activation mechanismincludes at least one of: (i) an attachment mechanism; and (ii) abiasing mechanism.
 24. The activatable temperature indicator of claim23, wherein the housing includes an upper housing and a lower housing,and wherein the attachment mechanism biases the first indicator portionand the second indicator portion into contact when at least one of theupper housing and the lower housing is twisted with respect to the otherof the upper housing and the lower housing. 25-32. (canceled)